CVE-2008-6141 in IP Softphone
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Avaya IP Softphone 6.0 SP4 and 6.01.85 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a large amount of H.323 data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6141 represents a significant security flaw within Avaya IP Softphone versions 6.0 SP4 and 6.01.85 that enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack through the manipulation of H.323 protocol data. This issue falls under the broader category of buffer overflow vulnerabilities, where the software fails to properly validate or limit the size of incoming H.323 data packets, leading to system instability and potential crashes. The H.323 protocol serves as a standard for multimedia communication over packet networks including the internet, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for voice over internet protocol communications. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability suggests that the exact technical mechanism behind the crash has not been fully detailed in public records, though the impact remains clear in its ability to disrupt legitimate communication services.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices within the Avaya IP Softphone application, where the software processes incoming H.323 data without adequate bounds checking or data size limitations. When a remote attacker sends an excessive amount of H.323 data, the application's memory management system becomes overwhelmed, leading to a crash or complete system failure. This type of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-129 as an insufficient input validation issue, where the application fails to properly verify that input data conforms to expected size and format parameters. The attack vector operates remotely, meaning that an attacker does not need physical access to the system or network to exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such softphones are commonly deployed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the integrity of voice communication systems within organizations. When the Avaya IP Softphone crashes due to excessive H.323 data, it can result in complete loss of voice communication capabilities for affected users, creating significant business disruption in environments where real-time communication is critical. The vulnerability affects not only individual endpoints but can potentially impact larger communication infrastructures if multiple softphone clients are compromised simultaneously. This scenario aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service, where adversaries exploit vulnerabilities to disrupt network services. Organizations relying on Avaya IP Softphone solutions for their communication infrastructure face substantial risk from this vulnerability, particularly in mission-critical environments where communication downtime can result in financial losses or safety concerns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-6141 should focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by Avaya to address the underlying buffer overflow condition in the H.323 data processing routines. Network administrators should implement robust input validation measures at network perimeters to filter out suspicious H.323 traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The deployment of intrusion detection systems capable of monitoring for unusual H.323 data packet sizes and patterns can provide early warning of potential attacks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation strategies to isolate critical communication systems from potential attack vectors, reducing the overall impact scope. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other communication protocols and applications. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing of patched software to ensure that the vulnerability is fully addressed without introducing new compatibility issues in the communication infrastructure.